PRESS DIGEST-New York Times business news - Aug 29

Aug 29 The following are the top stories on the
New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these
stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* Switzerland and the United States are close to announcing
an agreement to end their long dispute over how to punish banks
that helped Americans evade taxes, banking and government
officials said on Wednesday. ()

* Globant, an Argentine software and information technology
services company, has filed to go public on the New York Stock
Exchange, in a move to broaden its reach. ()

* A number of private equity groups have been knocked out of
the running to acquire Hutchison Whampoa Ltd's
ParknShop, the Hong Kong supermarket chain owned by the
billionaire Li Ka-shing that is considering selling itself in a
deal that could command $3 billion to $4 billion, according to
people with knowledge of the matter. ()

* Nintendo Co Ltd on Wednesday introduced a new
portable gaming system, the Nintendo 2DS. The device will cost
$130, or $40 less than its 3DS sibling. It is capable of running
all the games made for the 3DS, but without 3-D effects.

* The Advertising Council and the United States Army, hoping
to lower absenteeism in schools across the country, are
introducing a public service campaign this week aimed at helping
parents keep track of their children's absences. ()

* Fewer people signed contracts to buy American homes in
July, but the level stayed close to a six-and-a-half-year high.
The modest decline suggests that higher mortgage rates have yet
to slow sales sharply. ()

* The Bank of England's new governor took his ideas for
spurring Britain's sluggish economy on the road on Wednesday,
traveling to the heart of the country to convince households and
managers that interest rates will remain low and that he will
not follow the United States in reining in the bank's stimulus
efforts just yet. ()

* Portugal is finding that increasing exports is the way to
pull its economy out of a recession. Portuguese authorities said
this month that rising exports were the main reason Portugal
posted the strongest growth in the second quarter among the
nations of the European Union. ()

* A federal bankruptcy court judge granted the city of San
Bernardino eligibility for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday,
raising the possibility that the city will propose a plan to dig
itself out of debt by cutting money promised to the public
pension system. ()

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